The weird and wonderful things our parents told us

A friend was told not to mix milk from two different bottles as they were from two different cows ?

My mother used to tell me that as well: is it not true?
She also used to tell me to behave or the boggart would come and get me, which scared me for years.

If I didn’t eat liver I’d get so weak I wouldn’t be able to walk.

Against all the odds I’m still managing to stagger about.

Damp hair caused you to get a terrible cold ?

If the wind changed direction when I was grumpy my face would stay that way.

Oh, yes, tanith, I was told not to go out with damp hair. I'm not sure what you were supposed to do if you'd been swimming....

I wasn’t to sit on the following

Stone walls or I’d get piles
Public Toilet seats or I’d catch something awful
My bottom for too long or it would spread and be huge!

She was right on the last one...?

Stop pulling faces or you'll stick like it

Teachers told us not to sit on a stone wall or we'd get piles. I didn't know what piles were but they sounded best avoided.

Not sure if the above rang true, hahahaha.

yes i can remember various things that just seemed to be received wisdom when i was young, so not peculiar to my family.
eg hair washing was a hazardous undertaking, and it was unthinkable to go out after doing it. usually done on a friday evening, but not too late, as needed hours to be sure was dry, before lying down.
i think many of these were rooted in survival in cold houses. no one had central heating. and a chill could easily turn into something worse.
my parents never ate or gave us bread and dripping, but it was generally held to be essential to line the stomach !, to grow up strong, get curly hair etc.

Not to pick your nose or your head would cave in.

Carrots for curly hair (so I must've overdosed!)
Cant have a bath after eating or you'll get cramp..?
If the wind changes while you're frowning..you'll stay like that...

Ooh just remembered I wasn’t supposed to wash my hair when on my period. God knows what would happen ?

If you don't wash your ears, you'll get potatoes growing out of them.
If you swallow chewing gum, it will stick to your heart and you'll die.

My Granny used to say that porridge would make your teeth stronger and eating crusts would make your hair curl!

Don’t warm your feet near the fire or you’ll get chilblains. What are chilblains anyway? Wet hair of course was an opening to catch all sorts. Picking dandelions would lead to wetting the bed.

Kate1949

If you don't wash your ears, you'll get potatoes growing out of them.
If you swallow chewing gum, it will stick to your heart and you'll die.

Kate we had a teacher who told us that men who wanted to avoid national service would swallow chewing gum, and it showed up on an x-ray as a hole in their heart!

GardenerGran

Don’t warm your feet near the fire or you’ll get chilblains. What are chilblains anyway? Wet hair of course was an opening to catch all sorts. Picking dandelions would lead to wetting the bed.

Oh, that was true, GardenerGran (the chilblains, that is - I wouldn’t know about the bed wetting).

I was a martyr to chilblains and my parents should have bought shares in Snowfire. What were they? Ruddy painful is what they were. Horrid itchy lumps all over your toes.

Most of these on a regular basis! When I was a teenager I was told not to go behind the garages with a boy. I'm assuming dm thought I would get up to no good. The golf course was much better for that! ☺

Daddima

Dandelions are a diuretic so a little bit of truth in bedwetting.

Not to eat before having a bath.
No hair washing with a period.
Cabbage for curly hair.
Lightening would strike an uncovered mirror.
Weirdly having flowers in a bedroom would use up all the oxygen.

Don't sit on a cold stone wall or you'll get piles (my Gran)
Don't sit on a hot radiator or you'll get piles (primary school head teacher)
Don't handle egg shells or you'll get warts on your fingers (my mother)
Don't read for hours or you'll become short sighted (Mother again but that battle was lost long ago!)

Wasn’t allowed to wash my hair or have a swim when on a period
Can’t sit on the radiators at school or you’d get piles
If you don’t wash your ears you’d grow potatoes in them
A little rub of whiskey on toothache and warmed salt in a handkerchief for ear ache
( loved dripping on toast by the way)